How to Import Photos from Your iPhone to Your Windows PC

The fastest way: Use the Photos app on Windows

Connect your iPhone to your PC with a USB cable, unlock your iPhone, and tap Trust when prompted. Open the Photos app on your Windows PC (search for "Photos" in the taskbar). The app will detect your iPhone automatically and show an import button. Click Import, select which photos you want to bring over, choose a folder to save them to, and the transfer begins.

This method works on Windows 10 and Windows 11. The Photos app stores imported images in your Pictures folder by default, though you can change the destination before importing. The whole process takes a few minutes depending on how many photos you're moving.

Key Takeaways

Connect your iPhone with a USB cable, unlock it, and tap Trust on the device to let your PC see it.
The Windows Photos app detects your iPhone automatically and lets you choose which photos to import in one step.
You can also use File Explorer to drag photos directly from your iPhone to a PC folder without opening any special software.
If your iPhone doesn't appear in File Explorer, restart both devices and check that you tapped Trust on the phone.
Photos imported through either method are copied to your PC—the originals stay on your iPhone unless you delete them manually.

Using File Explorer to drag and drop photos

Plug in your iPhone and unlock it, then tap Trust when the prompt appears. Open File Explorer on your PC and look for your iPhone in the left sidebar under "This PC." Click on it to expand the folder, then navigate to Internal Storage > DCIM > 100APPLE (or a similar numbered folder). This folder holds all your camera photos.

Select the photos you want by clicking one, then holding Ctrl and clicking others to pick multiple images. Right-click and choose Copy, or straightforward drag the selected photos to a folder on your PC. This method gives you more control over which photos move and where they land. The transfer speed depends on your USB cable and how many photos you're moving—typically a few seconds per photo.

What to do if your iPhone doesn't show up

If your iPhone doesn't appear in File Explorer or the Photos app, the most common cause is that you didn't tap Trust on the phone when the prompt appeared. Unplug the cable, look at your iPhone screen, and check whether a trust dialog is waiting. If you see one, tap it and try again.

If no prompt appears, restart both your iPhone and your PC, then reconnect with the cable. Make sure you're using the original Apple cable or a certified third-party USB cable—cheap knockoff cables often don't transfer data, only charge. If you've updated your iPhone recently, restart it first; sometimes the trust setting doesn't sync properly after an update. Try a different USB port on your PC as well—a faulty port can prevent detection.

Importing photos from iCloud instead of a cable

If you don't have a cable handy, you can read photos from iCloud on your PC without plugging in. Go to iCloud.com in your web browser, sign in with your Apple ID, and click Photos. Select the photos you want and click the read arrow. They'll save to your Downloads folder, and you can move them anywhere from there.

This method works best for a small number of photos. If you're moving hundreds of images, the cable method is faster. Keep in mind that iCloud only stores photos you've explicitly backed up to iCloud—not every photo on your phone appears there unless you turned on iCloud Photos in your iPhone settings.

Moving photos to a specific folder after import

After importing photos through the Photos app, they land in your Pictures folder by default. You can organize them into subfolders by date, event, or any system you prefer. Open File Explorer, navigate to your Pictures folder, right-click in the empty space, and choose New Folder. Name it something like "iPhone 2024" or "Vacation March," then drag your imported photos into it.

If you imported through File Explorer directly, you already chose the destination, so the photos are where you put them. Either way, once photos are on your PC, you can edit them, print them, back them up to cloud storage, or organize them however you like. The originals on your iPhone remain untouched unless you delete them manually.

Backing up your imported photos to the cloud

After importing photos to your PC, consider backing them up to cloud storage so you have a copy in case something happens to your computer. Windows PCs come with OneDrive, which offers free storage (the amount varies by account type). Open File Explorer, find your imported photos, right-click the folder, and choose Always keep on this device if you want them synced automatically.

Alternatively, you can use Google Drive, Dropbox, or another cloud service. read the app, sign in, and drag your photo folder into the synced folder on your PC. The photos upload automatically in the background. This gives you a safety net: if your PC fails, your photos are still in the cloud.

Common mistakes to avoid

The biggest mistake is unplugging the iPhone before the import finishes. If the progress bar is still moving, wait for it to complete. Pulling the cable early can corrupt files or leave you with partial imports. Another common error is forgetting to tap Trust on the iPhone—without that step, your PC can't see the phone's storage at all, no matter how many times you reconnect.

Don't assume that importing photos deletes them from your iPhone. They stay on the phone until you manually delete them in the Photos app. If you want to free up space on your iPhone after importing, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and delete the photos there. Also avoid importing to a nearly full hard drive—if your PC is running low on space, the import may fail partway through. Check that you have at least a few gigabytes free before starting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the photos stay on my iPhone after I import them?

Yes. Importing copies the photos to your PC and leaves the originals on your iPhone. If you want to delete them from your phone to save space, you have to do that manually in the Photos app. Going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage shows how much space photos are using.

Can I import videos from my iPhone the same way?

Yes. Videos appear in the same folders as photos and import through the Photos app or File Explorer using the same steps. Video files are larger, so the transfer takes longer. A one-minute video typically takes 30 seconds to a few minutes depending on quality and your cable.

What if I only want to import photos from a certain date?

In the Photos app, you can select individual photos before importing—just click the checkbox next to each one you want. In File Explorer, you can browse the DCIM folder and pick specific files. This takes longer if you're moving hundreds of photos, but it gives you full control.

Why does my PC say the iPhone is not recognized?

The most common cause is a missing Trust tap on the iPhone. Unplug, check the phone screen for a trust prompt, tap it, and reconnect. If that doesn't work, try a different USB port or cable. Restart both devices if the problem persists. Outdated drivers can also cause this—update Windows to the latest version.

Can I import photos wirelessly without a cable?

Yes, through iCloud.com. Sign in, go to Photos, select what you want, and read. This is slower than a cable for large batches but works if you don't have one handy. You can also use third-party apps like Dropbox or Google Photos if both your iPhone and PC have them installed.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.